A Real Pain in the Caduceus

More healthcare news out today makes it pretty clear that radical changes are in order. (By the way, this is a caduceus[1].)

News Item Uno: Morbid Obesity Is Up, Way Up

There are kinds of obesity? Yes, that’s right: there’s an entire taxonomy of overweight. Kinda sad that we need that, isn’t it? Obesity in general is up, but morbid obesity is way, way up[2] – dangerously so.

What we can do about this:

1. Fire off a letter to your senator[3]. People dopay attention to letters. They know that for every letter they get, there are 1,000 more who share the sentiment.

3. Eat fresh, whole foods, and keep the portions small. Teach your children and friends. Be annoying about it. (But not too annoying.)

News Item Dos: Kids Are Manipulated Like Crazy

The overwhelming majority of kiddie-aimed commercials feature junk food[5]. In a recent study, literally no commercials advertised any fresh food. Theoretically, commercials may not influence adults – certainly up for debate – but children are highly vulnerable to marketing messages. This is the portion of the population that believes in Santa Claus, remember.

What we can do about this:

1. Again with the firing off of letters. How to: Make one good point, be brief, state what action you want them to take, and state what action you will take if they don’t.

2. Shield the commercials – and television in general – that your child is exposed to. Turn the tube off, or invest 5 bucks a month in Tivo.